How is it possible for a candidate to win the nationwide popular vote and yet lose the electoral vote?
He or she can do so by amassing big vote margins in states in which his party is dominant, while losing other states narrowly. In 2000, Al Gore won California with a margin of victory of nearly 1.3 million votes. He won New York with 1.7 million votes to spare. But Gore lost New Hampshire by only 7,211 and lost the electoral vote, 271 to 266. He also lost Florida by 537, but many Democrats thought a re-count would have shown him winning Florida.
A. He or she can do so by amassing big vote margins in states in which his party is dominant, while losing other states narrowly. In 2000, Al Gore won California with a margin of victory of nearly 1.3 million votes. He won New York with 1.7 million votes to spare. But Gore lost New Hampshire by only 7,211 and lost the electoral vote, 271 to 266. He also lost Florida by 537, but many Democrats thought a re-count would have shown him winning Florida. Q.
